Benny Davis

Benny Davis (August 21, 1895 - December 20, 1979) was a vaudeville performer and writer of popular songs.

Davis started performing in vaudeville in his teens. He began writing songs when working as an accompanist for Blossom Seeley. In 1917, he wrote "So Long Sammy" with Jack Yellen and "Good-Bye Broadway. Hello France" with C. Francis Reisner.

His first success was 1920's "Margie", with music by Con Conrad and J. Russel Robinson. His most popular song was "Baby Face", written in 1926 with Harry Akst. For Broadway, Davis wrote the score for the 1927 edition of Artists and Models and for the 1929 show Sons o' Guns. His career lasted until the mid-1930s. He was voted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Davis died in 1979 in Miami, Florida.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 21st, 1895 (New York City), Died December 20, 1979 (Miami)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1917 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter, composer, vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 738 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-20317 10-in. 7/3/1917 Goodbye Broadway, hello France American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-24786 10-in. 1/12/1921 Margie Peerless Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-26130 10-in. 2/23/1922 Don't leave me, Mammy Vernon Dalhart Male vocal solo, with violin duet and orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-26448 10-in. 5/2/1922 Angel child Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-27052 10-in. 10/27/1922 Carry me back to my Carolina home Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-27673 10-in. 3/26/1923 Dearest (you're the nearest to my heart) George Price Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-28170 10-in. 7/11/1923 When will the sun shine for me? Sterling Trio Male vocal trio, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-28672 10-in. 10/17/1923 Indiana moon Claire Brookhurst ; Lewis James Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-29188 10-in. 1/8/1924 Sweet Henry (The pride of Tennessee) Eubie Blake ; Noble Sissle Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Victor B-29293 10-in. 1/16/1924 A smile will go a long, long way Ted Weems Orchestra Jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor B-29494 10-in. 2/21/1924 A smile will go a long, long way Peerless Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-29864 10-in. 4/8/1924 Indiana moon John McCormack Tenor vocal solo, with violin and orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-30575 10-in. 8/14/1924 Main Street wasn't big enough for Mary Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-30918 10-in. 9/22/1924 Nobody loves you like I do Brox Sisters Female vocal trio, with piano lyricist  
Victor B-31189 10-in. 11/16/1924 Show me the way Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor B-31888 10-in. 3/9/1925 Oh, how I miss you to-night Lewis James Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-31923 10-in. 2/6/1925 No wonder International Novelty Orchestra Orchestra, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor B-32077 10-in. 3/10/1925 Yearning (Just for you) Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor B-32092 10-in. 3/12/1925 Yearning (Just for you) Gene Austin Male vocal solo, with viola, guitar, and ukulele lyricist  
Victor B-32095 10-in. 3/12/1925 No wonder (That I love you) Gene Austin Male vocal solo, with violin and guitar lyricist  
Victor BVE-32714 10-in. 5/23/1925 Oh, how I miss you tonight Benson Orchestra of Chicago ; Don Bestor Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BVE-33107 10-in. 7/24/1925 Dreaming of tomorrow Carleton A. Coon ; Joe Sanders Male vocal duet, with piano lyricist  
Victor BVE-33158 10-in. 8/7/1925 Who wouldn't love you Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra ; Joe Sanders Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BVE-33183 10-in. 8/25/1925 Want a little lovin' Aileen Stanley Female vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Victor BVE-33202 10-in. 7/28/1925 Dreaming of to-morrow Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet lyricist  
(Results 1-25 of 738 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Davis, Benny," accessed March 25, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110119.

Davis, Benny. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110119.

"Davis, Benny." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 25 March 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110119

External Sources

Wikipedia: Benny Davis

Discogs: Benny Davis

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Davis, Benny, 1895-1979 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no95052608

Wikidata: Benny Davis - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1261089

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/34654423

MusicBrainz: Benny Davis - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/11216ad6-0be5-40e7-817a-5b871900d638

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.